If you have back pain, do your homework. You have a wide variety of health care providers to choose from. Whatever provider you choose, you can have a specialist who is both technically outstanding and who can communicate. I have referred patients around the world to such doctors. My advice - don't settle for less!

You can consult several kinds of specialist and doctors for lower back pain, including:

Primary Care Physicians
(MD-medical doctor).


Chiropractors
(experts in manipulation and body mechanics). Chiropractors' scope of practice is restricted to manipulation, although authority can vary by state law and regulation.

Naturopath
a reasonable alternative if licensed in your state. Some naturopathic doctors have medical degrees and are licensed (in 12 states). Others consider themselves "traditional naturopaths" and do not have medical degrees. Naturopathic medicine uses natural remedies to achieve health and emphasizes prevention and self-healing.

Osteopaths
(DO-doctor of osteopathy); (doctors trained with a broader understanding of body mechanics and manipulation of the spinal column, head, muscles and general body architecture). Many but not all osteopathic doctors continue to practice their manipulative skills after specialty training, which is often completed in the same teaching institutions that MDs train in. There are osteopaths who specialize in, and are board certified in, manipulation. Osteopathic doctors can write prescriptions and order diagnostic testing. They also have a broad spectrum of training which includes the practice of general and specialty medicine.

Nurse practitioner
a reasonable alternative if licensed in your state. A registered nurse with special training for providing primary health care, including many tasks customarily performed by a doctor. Nurse practitioners order tests and procedures, diagnose and treat and manage acute and chronic diseases, prescribe medications, and promote health. Specialties include family practice, women's, infants, and children's health, geriatrics, emergency, oncology, and primary care. They are often licensed in their states and certified by national organizations.

Physician's assistant (PA)
a reasonable alternative if licensed in your state. Licensed to practice medicine under a doctor's supervision, physician assistants make medical decisions and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. They conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery and can write prescriptions in virtually all states.

Physiatrists
(experts in physical medicine and body mechanics). A physiatrist (fizz ee at' trist) is an MD or DO specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He or she treats a wide range of problems from sore shoulders to spinal cord injuries, focusing on all the major systems in the body and on restoring function. Some physiatrists specialize in musculoskeletal rehabilitation, pediatrics, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and sports medicine.

Radiologists
(imaging experts on tests used for diagnosis, such as X-rays, ultrasound, MRI and PET scanning)

Non-surgical neurologists
(experts in the nervous system and spinal cord)

Pain management doctors
(cross-trained in several areas in order to have a full command of disciplines needed to manage pain issues)

Physical therapists
are also an important resource for some with lower back pain. They offer techniques that often work in tandem with massage therapists to strengthen challenged muscles, increase mobility (thereby theoretically decreasing disability), and help rehabilitation.

Acupuncturists
come in two different broad categories: physician (M.D., D.O or ND) and non-physician (Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Chiropractor, etc.). Requirements for the number of hours required to meet licensure or certification standards vary from state to state.

Massage therapists
are thankfully being increasingly required to meet certain minimum standards of training and office hygiene. Massage alone may not "cure" lower back pain, but it can help when stress causes an exacerbation of pain and muscle tension. It can also be taught to a family member to help minimize the expense of frequent massage visits.

Homeopathic doctors
may be considered if they are MDs or DOs. Only three states in the U.S. license homeopathic doctors: Arizona, Connecticut, and Nevada.